Coil holder



R. .1. WEAN ET AL Jan. 5, 1937.

COIL HOLDER Filed 001;. 17, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet l Jan 5, 1937.

R. J. WEAN ET AL COIL! HOLDER Filed Oct. 17, 1935 Fig.4.

BOTH LEFT 46 BOTH IN BOTH RIGHT 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 5, 1937- R. J.WEAN ET AL 2,066,377

COIL HOLDER Filed Oct. 17, 19:55 5 Sheets-Shee 5 BOTH RIGHT BOTHIN 65 67BOTH LE FT INVENTORS Patented Jan. 5, 1937 UNITED STATES FFICE COILHOLDER Raymond J. Wean and Donald Warren, Ohio, assignors to Th neeringCompany, Incorpora a corporation of Ohio A. McArthur, e Wean Engite'd,Warren, Ohio,

I Application October 17, 1935, Serial No. 45,414

9 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for holding coiled material and, inparticular, coiled strip .mgflterial, although it has other applicationsas w v y In the manufacture of steel strip, after hot rolling, thepartly reduced strip is coiled for delivery to various points forsubsequent processing. In the subsequent processing, e. g., pickling,the coiled hot rolled strip must be unwound and passed through thetreating apparatus in strand form. The particular object of the presentinvention is to provide means for supporting a coil of such strip whilebeing unwound for subsequent processing.

Holders for coiled strip material of various kinds have been knownheretofore. In one such device, a pair of centering heads are disposedon a common actuating screw coaxial therewith. One of the heads must beremoved from the screw, however, to permit a coil to be slipped over theend of the latter. This arrangement is not satisfactory for the purposedescribed above because of the difliculty in positioning the coil on thesupport. Other forms of coil holders have therefore been developed,specifically, a device including a pair of movable standards, eachhaving a centering head projecting toward the other,

' and a common screw for adjusting the standards toward and away fromeach other, the screw be- 8 jgurnaled in a suitable base and parallel tobutspaced from the axis of the heads. When the hot rolled strip has notbeen coiled accurately, because of camber in the strip, or for someother reason, it is desirable to try to remedy the conditionby drawingthecenteringhead together. Since the screw which effects this result isoil-center with'respect to the axis of the heads, the supportingstandards tend to tilt, permitting the centering heads to depart from atrue coaxialrelation, and as a result the centering heads bind the coilbetween them and prevent unwinding.

We have invented acoil support which overcomes objections to the typesaforementioned, in that it includes spaced centering heads having a freespace therebetween, whereby a coil can be moved into coaxial relationtherewith from points laterally of the axis of the heads. The heads areadjustable toward and away from each other and the means for causingsuch adjustment is coaxial with the heads, so that there can be nomisallnement of the latter or binding of the coil between them. Inaddition, we provide means for lifting a coil into position between theheads and turning it to the desired 56 position for starting theunwrnding. A further feature of our invention is the provision of meansfor adjusting the coil axially in case the strip being deliveredtherefrom tends, because of camber therein or for some other reason, todepart from the desired direction of delivery. 5 Such meansautomatically maintains the strip coming off the coil in a predetermineddelivery line, which facilitates its passage through various treatingapparatus, such as pickling and washing baths and the like.

In order to cause corresponding adjustment of each centering head, weprovide means, preferably electrical forv tying together the adjustingmeans therefor. Independent adjustment of the two heads is alsopermitted. 15

A present preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying, drawings from a consideration of which together with thefollowing detailed description, a complete understanding thereof canreadily be obtained. 20 In the drawingsa Figure 1 is a diagrammatic sideelevfifilgn; Figure 2 is a view partly in section and artly inelevation, to enlarged scale, of a portion bf the apparatus shown inFigure 1;

2! Figure 3 is a partial sectional view along the 0 line III-III ofFigure 2;

Figure 4 is a circuit diagram showing one form of automatic controlsystem;

Figure 5 is another circuit-diagram showing a 3 further form of controlsystem; and

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a detail of theautomaticcontrol system.

Referring now in detail to the drawings and, for the present, to Figures1 through 3, standards 35 III are mounted in spaced relation on asuitable foundation I-l. Each standard has spaced bearings l2 throughwhich a tubular-thrust member I3 is axially slidable. A trunnion i4 issecured to'the inner end of each thrust member and is 40 provided with ahead l5 rotatably mounted thereon by anti-friction bearings i6. Eachhead l5 has a coil engaging flange or diskl 5a. The heads l5 haverearward extensions l1 serving as brake drums. Brake bands l8 disposedabout the ex- 45 tensions I! are secured to the trunnions'by links IQfor exerting an adjustable force retarding rotation of the heads. Eachhead is provided with a plurality of collars 29 of graduated sizeswhereby the heads can be accommodated to coils hav-. 50 ing centralopenings of diiferent diameters.

Each of the thrust members l3 has an adjusting screw 2|. The inner endsof the screws 2| are journaled in-thrust bearings formed in webs 22extending across the thrust members. The other 2 g I 2,000,377 I ends ofthe screws are coupled tdthe shafts of dynamo-electric machines 23 and23' carried on shelves 24 attacheddzo the outer ends of the thrustmembers.

Each thrust member has a longitudinal slot 25 therein. A projection 26extends upwardly from each standard iii through the slot 25 and carriesa nut 21 through which the screw 2| is threaded. A dynamo-electricmachine 28 may be vdisposed on one of the shelves 24 and coupled, forexample, to the machine 23 for a purpose which will appear hereinafter.y L

A lifting saddle 29 is disposed in a pit ill between the standards Illand comprises a base 3| mounted on screw jacks 32 and adapted to beraised or lowered thereby. A pair of spaced coil supporting rolls 33 arejournaled on the base 3| in suitable bearing posts 34. A motor II ismounted on the base ii for driving one of the rolls 33 through a chain 5rocket connection I. A motor 31 mounted be ween the screw Jacks 32drives them through worm and worm wheel reduction gears 28.

The operation of the apparatus so far described will now be brieflyreviewed. The centering heads I! are normally retracted by suitableoperation of the screws 2|. A coil to be supported for unwinding is thendeposited. by means of acrane,

' for example, on the saddle 29 which is normally in its lowermostposition. The coil is indicated x diagrammatically at ll. After the coilhas been deposited on the saddle, the latter is raised by operation ofthe motor 21 until the opening through the coil is substantially inlinewith the axes of the centering heads.- The motor II can then be operatedto turn the coil slightly one direction or the other if necessary,- lnorder to position the outer end properly for entry into the treatingapparatus. The centering heads are then advanced toward the coil bymeans of the screws 2 I The heads I! and the collars 2| disposedthereabout are slightly tapered to facilitate their entry into the endsof the openings through the coils. when the coil ll has been properlyengaged by the heads II, the base 2| of the saddle is lowered and thecoil is then free to turn asa strip is .unwound therefrom.

motors, by suitable control mechanism, an example of which isillustrated in Figure 4. If it is desired to adjust the heads itsimultaneously and precisely to the same extent, they may be tiedtogether electrically if the machines are wound rotor induction machinessuitably connected, the motor 2! servingto drive the machine 22 as agenerator, the machine 22" operating as a motor and moving insynchronism with the machine 23. This system is illustrated in Figure5.

Referring now to Figure 4' wherein the machines 23 and22 are assumed tobe alternating current motors, for example, induction motors, athree-phase supply circuit is shownat 4|. Current is supplied to themotors 23 and2l' through a manual switch l2 and a main line contactor42. The circuit to the motors includes the back contacts of thereversing switches 44 and 45. The contactor 42 may be closed by a pushbutton 40. The motors 23 thereupon turn in the same direction, forexample, in such direction as to cause the shafts 2| to move thecentering heads inwardly. If it is desired to move the centering headsoutwardly, a push button" causes the simultaneous energization of thecontactor 43 and reversing switch 44. The latter reverses theconnections between two of the phases of the supply circuit and themotors 22 and 42-8.

.The latter will then rotate in the reverse direction to cause outwardmovement of the centering heads. If it is desired to cause both heads tomove to the right,

a. push button ll permits simultaneous energizetion ofthe main contactor4t and the reversing switch 4'. This connects the motor 23 in adirection such as to cause the left hand centering head to move to theright. The motor 28' is connected for rotation in the reverse directionthrough the front contacts of the reversing switch I! and the backcontacts of a reversing switch 40. The motors rotate in oppositedirections and both the heads move toward the right.

If it is desired to cause both the heads to'move to the left, a pushbutton 60 makes this possible. The push button ll energizes the maincontactor 43, the reversing switches 4|, '4' and It. The reversingswitch 44 reverses the motor 23 usual manner to reverse the motor u' butthe reversing switch ll is effective to reverse the connections again,restoring them to the normal condition for forward rotation so that theright hand head also moves to the left. a

If it should happen that the strip is not coiled accurately, because ofcamber therein or for the perpendicular to theooil axis as it unwindsThis is objectionable because the follow a predetermi ing apparatus. Wecompensate for any such departure of the strip from its normal path'bymeans of contacts II and '2 adapted to be closed respectively, when thestrip shifts to the right scribed, thiscauses the motors 2t and 22' tomove thecoil ll to the left, restoring the strip gether, the system ofFigure 5 is employed. In

this system, the machines 23 and fl' are wound rotor induction machines.the machine 2! operating as a generator and the machine 22' oprotatetherewith. the generator 22 and by certain connections to be describedlater, the generator 28 causes the motor 22' to follow it in exactsynchronism, just as if the two screws 2| were mechanically connected.

A main supply source is indicated at II. A main contactor 0| connectsthe motor 28 to the supply 60 through the back contacts of a reversingswitch 82 in such direction as to cause forward rotation of the motor 20to tin-n the left hand screw 2| and adjust the left hand head isinwardly. The stator winding of the machines 23 and 23 are connected inparallel with bed path through thetreatsimultaneous energisation 1 thesame the motor 28 which is preferably ail-induction .for the motor 23.

motor. The rotor on the generator 23 is connected through slip rings andconductors 63 to the rotor of the machine 23. The connection for thestator of the machine 23' includes th back contacts of a reversingswitch 64.

Closure of the contactor 6| can be efiected by operation of a pushbutton 65. This energizes the motor 28 in a forward direction andadjusts the left hand head inwardly. The machine 23 being driven by themotor 28 operates as a generator, while the machine 23' operates as amotor and keeps in exact synchronism with the movement of the generator23. Both screws 2| are thus adjusted inwardly simultaneously and toprecisely the same extent.

If it is desired to adjust both centering heads outwardly, it is onlynecessary to reverse the direction of rotation of the motor 28'. This isdone by the reversing switch 62. ton 66 permits the main contactor 6|and reversing switch 62 to be simultaneously energized for reverseoperation of the adjusting screws.

If it is desired to move both centering heads to the right, theconnections to'the stator of the machine 23 must be reversed withrespect to those of the machine 23. This is accom-- plished by thereversing switch 64. A push button 61 permits simultaneous operation ofthe contactor 6| and the switch 64. When the push button 61 is operated,the motor 28 operates in a forward direction, while the motor 23'operates in the reverse direction. Both adjusting heads thus move to theright. If it is desired to move both heads to the left, this isaccomplished by reversing the rotation of the motor 26 and also theconnections of the motor 23. A push button 68 permits simultaneousenergization of the contactors 6|, the reversing switch 62 for the motor28 and the reversing switch 64 When the push button 68 is operated, themotor 28 operates in a reverse direction, while the motor 23 operates ina forward direction, causing both centering heads to move to the left.

Automatic operation of the push buttons 61 and 68 in accordance with thedeparture of the strip from a predetermined path is effected a in Figure4 by contacts 5| and 52.

It will be understood that the control apparatus and the circuitdiagrams shown in Figures 4 and 5 are illustrative only and are notintended to limit the invention. The particular circuits shown have beenemployed because they illustrate simply the theory in view, and whilethe systems shown will operate satisfactorily, modifications oradditional refinements will suggest themselves to those skilled in theart of electrical control.

It will be apparent from the above description that the inventionprovides a novel and highly useful form of coil support, the chiefadvantages of which are that the force effective to adjust the centeringheads inwardly and outwardly is applied coaxially thereof, so as toprevent misalinement of the heads and binding of the coil therebetween.In addition, theinvention lends itself readily to automatic control ofthe centering heads to maintain the delivered strip in a predeterminedpath. Any departure of the strip from this path is immediatelycompensated for by the contacts controlled by the strip edges. It isthus possible to feed a strip continuously along a given path regardlessof camber in the A push butstrip or improper coiling thereof. Thecentering heads may be adjusted independently or they may be tiedtogether electrically as described.

Although we have disclosed herein but one form of our invention, it willbe recogmzed that changes therein may be made without departing from thespirit of the invention or the scopeof the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A coil support comprising a standard, a thrust member axiallyslidable thereon, a centering head on said member, an adjusting screwjournaled on said member, and a nut on said standard cooperating withsaid screw, and a second centering head adapted to cooperate with thefirst mentioned head.

2. A coil support comprising a standard, a; thrust member axiallyslidable thereon, a centering head on said member, an adjusting screwjournaled on said member coaxially with said head, and a nut on saidstandard cooperating with said screw, and a second centering headadapted to cooperate with the first mentioned head, said screw beingcoaxial with said second head.

3. A coil support comprising a standard, a thrust member axiallyslidable thereon, a centering head on said member, an adjusting screwjournaled on said member, and a nut on said standard cooperating withsaid screw, a second centering head adapted to cooperate with the firstmentioned head, and power means on said member for driving said screws4. Coil supporting apparatus comprising a standard; a tubular thrustmember slidable therethrough, a centering head on said member, a screwjournaled coaxially with said head and member, a longitudinal slot insaid member, a projection from said standard extending through saidslot, a nut on said projection cooperating with said screw, and a secondcentering head cooperating with said first mentioned head.

5. The combination with a pair of spaced centering heads, means foradjusting said heads axially, a motor for driving the adjusting means ofone of said heads, and an electrical tie between the adjusting means ofthe two heads.

6. The combination defined by claim 5 characterized by said tiecomprising a generator driven by said motor, and a motor connected tothe generator for driving the adjusting means of the other of saidheads.

'7. A coil support including a trunnion, a centering head rotatablethereon, a thrust member to which said trunnion is secured, meanswhereby said member is slidably but non-rotatably mounted, a fixed nut,a screw in said member cooperating with said nut and means on saidmember for driving said screw. 7

8. Coil handling apparatus comprising a pair of spaced centering headsadapted to engage a coil, a motor for operating each head, and agenerator driven by one motor and adapted to be connected to the othermotor.

9. A coil support comprising a pair of spaced centering heads, and meansfor moving each head axially including a driving motor, a generatordriven by the motor of one head, and means for connecting the generatorto the motor of the' other head.

RAYMOND J. WEAN. DONALD A. MCARTHUR.

